The Empire Horizon
by DeconstructionMan
Summary: Set in an AU where Sonic is captured easily during Eggman's rise to power, Tails grows up in a dramatically changed world.
1. Preface and Introduction

Preface: This is my first fan fiction that I've decided to publish on the internet. It takes place in my own, alternative version of the Sonic universe- a combination of the Archie and the game universes which has turned out not so favorably for the heroes... A lot has been changed, including the histories of many characters. All of this was done in order to tell a story. Most importantly is the date of Tails' birth was moved to ten years before Eggman's taking over of Mobius.

As with all fan fiction, I of course have no claim of ownership over any of the characters or settings. Everything this work is based on is owned by Sega.

Introduction: The Final Hours of the World

Their screams filled the halls with terror, the lines shaking and ready to break, yet held together by the threat of immediate death. The Mobians resisted all they could, but it was such a sudden crisis. Where were the royal guards? Some claimed the King himself had been captured. Feet stepped over dead bodies of the ones who resisted at that final moment. The robots stood guard on either side, watching over this line of prisoners as they marched themselves to roboticization. Caught in his bed, Sonic the Hedgehog stood at the front of the ever-shortening line, his head bowed. They had cuffed his feet together just as a precaution, not knowing of his great speed. It made all the difference, as speed was the only thing he had. Anything and everything he could have done was thrown away, and he helplessly stepped forward with the rest of the captured citizens, stepping toward that horrendous machine that none could resist. The old world would be obliterated, one person at a time. Now it was Sonic's turn. He stepped inside and said goodbye to everything he knew, not knowing who he was surrendering to or why, just like the rest.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter I: Breath of Tomorrow's Winds

The essence of life is rarely tasted- only in the wildest circumstances does one really know what living _feels_ like. But as Tails surged to life for the first time in years, his body took in a deep breath that brought him a sort of triumphant pain that was echoed by absolute joy. The feeling of life energized him, but he had no way of telling how long he had been one of Eggman's drones- the Robians, they were called, since his last conscious memory. He sat up, his eyes darting quickly around the interior of the strange machine he had awoken in. It was similar to the roboticizer, but unlike that horrible contraption, there was a hatch with a lever on the inside. He reached out and turned it- and much to his surprise it opened.

"Citizen," began a dull-sounding voice, "you have been deroboticized under EE Code, regarding the general protocol of Phase II." Tails' eyes were still adjusting to the light outside the capsule when a black-gloved hand reached through the blur to him. He flinched at first, but he realized the hand was motioning at him to take hold, which he did. The guard outside the capsule lifted him to his feet and helped him step down. His knees were week and his whole body was shaking, although visibly Tails seemed to be in the same condition as the day he was captured. The guard was a feline of some sort, although it was difficult to tell because he was dressed from head to tow in an odd-looking black uniform with red and gold trim.

"Do you feel alright?" asked the officer with little empathy.

"Yeah, I'm just a little shaky. Where am I?" The officer took a deep breath, his eyes showing visible annoyance. Tails wondered if he had been asked this question more than once today.

"You're in the Genesis Center of the Academy, in Robotropolis, the capital of the Eggman Empire. Robotropolis is the city that was once called Mobotropolis. It is now the seat of world power, from which Dr. Eggman gives us all directives to effectively manage day to day activities." Tails was unable to interrupt him. "The Academy is the center of learning for all citizens of the Empire. The Genesis Center is a special wing for the introduction of new citizens and post-roboticization citizens. Now if you would please head through that door..." Tails had only just realized how large the room actually was. At least a hundred chambers like his were set up across multiple levels, and as his hearing returned to its former effectiveness, he realized that elsewhere in this massive building, the same speech was being given to others who had just been deroboticized.

As he walked along the gantry walkway to the door, he kept a careful eye out for anyone he recognized from before Eggman's appearance. There were dozens of others he could see, but he recognized none of them. They appeared to be doing the same- all looking for lost relatives and friends. Tails sighed. He had long been independent due to his lack of home or family, but it was times like these that he just wished he could hold someone's hand or have someone waiting for him. The joy he had felt in the capsule had given way first to wonder, then uneasiness. The vastness of his surroundings only reminded him of his insignificance to the world around him. He could only imagine how small he would feel in the outside world, which he may not even recognize.

The door opened smoothly into an open deck overlooking the city. Tails felt his heart sink as he saw the unbelievable changes the world had undergone since his capture- the huge trees had been replaced by even larger steel structures, most of which were painted various shades of red and violet, unlike anything he had ever seen, and although it was clear that nature was in some way preserved, with a planter here and a rooftop park there, it was obvious that metal conquered all. He was far above the ground, with the rows of skyscrapers forming an unnatural valley below him that served as a channel for impossibly giant airships and personal transport vessels. Far below the great ships was a network of crisscrossing streets and raised monorails. Across this wide vista of metal and air, the symbol of the new Eggman Empire reigned supreme, with its eerie grin and broad mustache it provided a constant image of the master of the world no matter what view it was seen from. Tails the fox was helpless at the sight of it all, a view of a new beginning. Never could he feel more alone than that moment, as he slid to his knees- an alien in his own hometown.

The handrail shook with with an audible buzz as the hands of another recently freed Mobian were laid on the rail. She was a sort of bird, brightly colored all over. Tails might have admired her beauty if not for the obvious distress on her face. He turned to the gathering crowd of disorientated locals, not sure what to do or say. They stood, mouths agape at their scenery with mixed expressions. Behind them he began to notice a group of soldiers dressed in similar uniforms to the guard who had assisted him. Their blank, anonymous countenances created a large contrast to the revived- as if they truly had come from another planet. They regarded the freed Mobians with apathy, despite their volatile feelings. Something about it disturbed Tails deeply, but he couldn't define what exactly it was, and before he could think long about it he was interrupted by one important looking officer.

"Everyone, could I have you attention please," he said in an almost inaudible rasp. "Everyone, please!" He said again, his voice cracking and unsteady. He shook his head a bid and clutched at his neck. A second officer stepped forward, bowing to eye level with him. She asked him a question, and he nodded, just as the crowd began to turn. She spoke to them in a loud but flustered voice.

"Citizens, you may recognize the black uniforms worn by the officers in this city. We're here to give directions and help you, so if you lose your way please just find one of us and join the crowd." She looked back at her superior uncertainly; he nodded, so she continued. "Citizens, please follow us to the introduction center, where you will view a presentation to orientate yourself to your new surroundings."

The crowds were divided into small parties, similar to tour groups. The rasping superior took the lead of Tails' group, and led them to a monorail train at a nearby platform. The monorail operators held the same bleak expression as the officers, although they had a general appearance of health that the officers lacked. As he boarded the train, Tails searched from front to back and spotted a window seat- no matter how overwhelming the city seemed to him, he couldn't see enough of it, and his mounting anxiety was equaled by his desire to explore. The officer took the seat next to him, which made him deeply uncomfortable. He was starting to tap his foot and imagine himself escaping through the window. The other officers seemed unfriendly, but this was the first time he had been close enough to see dark eyes under the bill of the military-style cap.

"I don't bite," said the officer in a sharp, frightening hiss, his exhausted voice carrying an impossible undertone of sincerity. Sharp teeth flashed briefly in the light of the window- a smile? Instantly Tails could recognize him as a wolf. Tails was so caught off guard that he looked straight past him in hopes that someone else was watching him, or rather, was watching over him. The question the wolf asked next only made the situation worse. "What's your name, fox?"

He had no hope of escaping this unwanted social encounter. Internally, he cursed himself for taking an open seat, rather than sitting in the aisle next to any person in the whole mass of strangers he was now tied to _except _this terrifying gray figure in uniform. He searched himself for a cool place, and while his mouth said, "Miles, but people call me Tails," as he usually introduced himself, his mind and facial expression screamed "please leave me alone."

"Not a bad nickname," he said, looking away briefly and thus providing a moment for the orphan to think. "I had a nickname, but they don't let you use them in the corps. I-" he was interrupted by a terrible wheeze, and when he regained his composure he sat silently, perhaps ashamed. Tails looked out the window as the train sank closer toward the ground. The world appeared to grow dark as the shadows of the great metal towers began to fall on them, and suddenly the whole world seemed to be night. He was so overcome with this development that he hadn't noticed the reflections appearing throughout the train, products of the monorail's lighting against the window. He was suddenly chilled at the realization that the officer was looking at him now, but not him directly- his reflection. They were looking each other in the eye.

It wasn't the wolf's behavior that bothered him. It wasn't even his ghastly appearance that bothered Tails so much, it was the thought that a stranger, representing everything that he had just recently learned to fear and hate, would suddenly appear at his side and speak so peacefully. It felt wrong. It felt wrong that his world was torn down by a tyrannical lunatic, and all the people were enslaved, and that suddenly everything had suddenly and completely reversed itself. How could regular life continue? He had an overwhelming urge to fight the officer, to break free from the train and fly away, or maybe just wake up again in the deroboticizer to a world that fit his expectations. He suddenly wished to return to where he came from and figure out the illusion that lead him to even briefly wonder about his prospects in Eggman's new world.

"Please just stop talking to me," he began, tears in his eyes. "I just want to go home." The wolf climbed to his feet and motioned at a monorail operator. Despite the urge to run, Tails couldn't move. Instead, he curled into a ball and sobbed. Within a moment the operator had arrived with a very sweet soda and chocolates from the snack cart, free of charge. The wolf was shaking his head and trying his best to apologize for "spooking the kid," and Tails had come to realize that his outburst was easily forgiven. He gathered everything that was left to worry about and bundled it with the arrival at the Introduction Center. That, he thought, would be the answer to his questions, for better or for worse.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter II: Faded Banners and Dark Halls

The Academy was a byzantine complex of towers, factories, and transportation, much like an intricate city within the city. Very few points of this district were brightly lit or exposed to sunlight, and much of it was shrouded in foreboding military secrecy. Along with many more officers in the halls, there were hundreds of civilians dressed in similar uniforms, although their variety was colored a deep green. At street level the world seemed like a much more dangerous place, yet anonymous enough that it attracted the attention of the orphan who arrived with the newly-awoken. He hoped deep down that he would be released after the presentation, clothed in the same anonymous uniforms that erased the identity of the ghosts around him and protected them from his curiosity. Were they like him? Were they trying to disappear?

It raised another question. What sort of introduction could there be that could explain it all? Was there some sort of program to dole out homes and jobs to them all? Tails wondered if the rest of the group would be reunited with their families, and again felt alone. When he was living on the streets before his capture, life was simple enough. He could find free food anywhere, thanks to the generosity of the locals. He had never really considered his future, but he did have a fascination with electronics. Surprisingly, Eggman's takeover didn't dull his desire to understand computers and circuitry, but in a way it intensified it. As the crowd stepped off the monorail train and reorganized on the platform, Tails looked up at the narrow, zigzagging line of blue that comprised his view of the sky. It was as if the computer world was swallowing him, and his only method of escape would be to master it. His life before today was entirely irrelevant to his future, and yet it shaped him as a person to see in that sky what no one else would see.

His life before his capture... it was still as close to him as yesterday, but it was still bothering him that he could not wrap up everything that he knew into a memory, that it instead continued to be his reality. He wanted to silence it, and know that it is as gone as it could be, so that he could stop wishing it were there. He imagined that it must be the same for someone who has lost a loved one, who dearly wants to stop thinking of things to say, or memories to share with their lost friend, as the pain of remembering their death strikes them at the times that they're most vulnerable. It shouldn't be so difficult for Tails- his life began seventeen years ago, although he was only ten when he was deroboticized, thanks to its youth-preserving property. His mother and father disappeared mysteriously shortly after his birth, and he was kept in the households of a few foster families until he was five. At that age he was moved to an orphanage, as he was old enough to not need such attentive care.

He hated the orphanage. The other children were cruel to him, since he was young and strange-looking, with his two tails providing the bulk of his ridicule. His ability to fly with them, gradually improving since he discovered it, did nothing to mitigate their opinion of him, and within the year he was off. Onto the streets where he could beg and sleep without anyone to belittle him, he could finally have peace, and assure himself that he would be alright. At night, however, he would sit and stare at the stars, and think about who his parents might have been, and how life might have turned out if they had been there for him. On clear nights, he could swear that they knew him and his feelings, and wanted him to be happy, healthy, and safe. On other nights, when rain would leave him cold and hungry, darker thoughts crept over him. Maybe they weren't really gone, and they had simply abandoned him. Maybe they just didn't love him. Whatever the reason for his parents' disappearance, he was left with little to miss from his previous life. Yet there he was, staring at the sky as he did then, knowing that his mastery of the world around him could only bring back his freedom to wish, but couldn't grant him what he wanted the most.

The crowd was moving. The doors into the introduction center were wide, and they opened loudly as heavy metal doors often do. There was an odd smell inside the hall, a mixture of dust and the characteristic scent of warm computers. He was surprised by the darkness inside, and as the crowd began to draw him closer he felt what was left of his bravery vanish. He once again felt like a helpless child. He couldn't see over the Mobians in front of him, nor could he see anything behind him. He was trapped and was forced to keep moving. He locked step with the crowd and kept his head down.

The monorail station now far behind them, they were lead deeper into the facility. The halls were lit with the screens of computer terminals and minimalistic safety lighting, drenching everything in an indigo blue light. It was cold and uninviting, and yet the unknown seemed to be calling him forward, as if it were warning him that the darkness could close in and leave him trapped forever. The crowd became the walls, nothing more to him than bleak scenery, and the wolf, whom tails knew was behind him, was like blackness all around him. There was nothing to do but go forward. Although the lighting began to increase as they neared the Introduction Center, Tails felt like the trap had already sprung, and that the dread that had taken hold of him made him part of the dark halls. He took a deep breath and shook the thought from his mind- whatever grim reality was about to reveal itself, he would try to face it with dignity. No one could take that from him unless he lets them.

Inside the large chamber, the scenery became organic and familiar. The lighting became warmer and the architecture lost its uncompromising lines. Their group was herded into the center of the open area, and although the lighting was dimmed, Tails suddenly understood where he was and felt a sharp pain in his heart. They were being lead into the conquered-but-preserved court of the royal palace, once home to the Acorn family that ruled in a time more familiar to the fox. This is why they had been taken to ground level, because the whole palace was encased in the complex. Two empty thrones positioned at one end of the room were roped off and memorialized with an engraved column that had once stood nearby, but now laid broken across the ground before the thrones. Tails read the words silently, their impact hitting him and every other Mobian who noticed it. "There is no rule by right, only rule by ability."

The whole crowd was shuffled through the room from one side to the other so it could get a complete room of the palace. Tails had never been in the room before, but he knew it was the real palace because Eggman wouldn't have bothered building a replica if he had destroyed the original. He knew so little about the new leader, and yet his world seemed to have a backbone of logic and common-sense that seemed predictable enough that the fox never felt like his surroundings lacked a purpose. He could remember a time in his life in which he had wondered into a library, resurfacing almost out of nowhere. An entire wing of the library was devoid of books, perhaps because the shelves were being cleaned. It was uncomfortable to be around, almost eerie. Another time, he found a deck of playing cards that had been thrown away. He counted them and found that the three of clubs was missing- but he felt uncomfortable throwing away the 51 remaining cards. Everything is supposed to have a purpose; this seemed to be the natural order of the world. This room was meant to remind them that there was a time when some things didn't.

They finally came to a set of tall windows, each of which was still shattered the way they were since the doctor's seizure of the reigns of power. They were lead through the open windows into the auditorium, which would have been outdoors before the construction of the academy, but now was fully inclosed by just one of the many towers. With its massive seating capacity facing the ruined palace, it set up an otherworldly stage. Everyone sat attentively, stricken by grief and paranoia. Were they being monitored? Some fiery words were whispered, a few notions that if Eggman were to appear then they would be whipped into a frenzy. They grumbled that the march into the palace was insulting to them all, and some called it the final straw, yet no one, strong or weak, made any aggressive moves. A few angry adolescents started chattering loudly about getting up and fighting, and not caring about being roboticized again, when suddenly a holographic representation of the king appeared before them, dignified and calm.

As the hologram of the fallen king flickered, a projection appeared on the palace wall behind him, showing images of war, starvation, and sickness, while a string ensemble played solemnly in the background. A voice begins speaking to the emotional crowd, a voice that is not recognized immediately. It's a rough but strong voice, the voice of the new leader who had conquered the world so quickly that none could recognize him until he appeared on stage in front of them. Despite their angry words, they simply stared, mouths agape, as he began his speech.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter III: An Orphan Princess

"Your King died seven years ago in a temporary prison camp outside the city. He is buried at memorial park," the doctor began, "a ten minute ride from the Academy. He was a brilliant man, but he was not my equal, and so you know his demise. The world must begin anew now that the winds have changed and I am your leader, he would have told you that." Eggman spoke confidently, making sure that each word had a hammer's impact. "What he would not have possibly understood is that a new horizon of possibility is not the result of the new world order, it _is_ the new world order. This," he said, motioning toward the scenes of destruction behind him, the crowd transfixed, "is the world I was born into. It was a world where the rulers were chosen by blood, and their authority was protected by the blood of others.

"It was a world where the poor and hungry were rarely acknowledged, while an aristocratic society lived in opulence above them. There was rampant sickness about, and few efforts were made to end the suffering unless it was for some two-bit celebrity. This is my world now. I'm sorry that it did not have room for figures like your king, who would not have flinched to send a thousand of you to die in his place, but there is plenty room for all of you who have never had a true home before. Some of you in the audience may have been forgotten by that society yourselves. Beggars, cripples, orphans, and the persecuted- I know some are here today. You live in a new world that accepts you for who you are. Don't waste this opportunity! Now is the time to move forward and make something of yourself."

The whole crowd was spellbound, momentarily forgetting that they had been imprisoned for nearly a decade, as they were assailed by this grand idea of a new society. While most simply brushed off the doctor's attempt to persuade them, a few in the crowd were listening intently. Tails felt something deeply personal about the way the doctor spoke. Unlike the drab uniforms and unsmiling officers of his government, the man himself was energetic, zealous even. He gesticulated with each point he made and walked tall, triumphant in his security. The silent and motionless King Alexander was no longer the crowd's leader; he was simply a ghost, and each point Eggman threw into the faces of his audience made the king more distant from them. Every feeling was amplified: hatred, disgust, sorrow, admiration, and even love were felt across the room. The revolution had started a decade after the war.

"...and I know what you all must be thinking. Why is Eggman here? Does he give this speech to everyone? Of course I don't, I'm here because a member of this audience is someone very important, not just to me, but to all of you." Tails searched the room and found her immediately. He knew that she had not been with the group until now, and that this meeting was arranged beforehand. Yet, he was shocked just as everyone else was, and couldn't help but feel the pain in his heart as the spotlight focused on Sally Acorn, princess and heir to the throne. She walked down the stairs as Eggman introduced her, the applause slowly growing for her. Tears were cried, but she appeared calm and ready for anything. The thought that dawned on them all: she was roboticized. She was roboticized like us! It was the moment that Eggman had prescribed for them all- a crescendo of empathy throughout the room.

They stood on the stage together, with Sally between her father and her ruler. A sickness crept over the scene as some began to picture Eggman's next dirty trick. They began to assume that he would make her choose between her father and him. "Now dear," he said with a false sincerity, "your father recorded a message before he passed away that he wanted everyone to hear, and I want everyone to know what you think." Silence retook the crowd, and they watched as Sally lost her impossibly resolute demeanor. She shook her head, and took a step back, but the doctor held out his hand and stopped her from retreating. The message began to play.

"It's a dark day for us all," the ghostly voice began. The hologram kept time, its face matching the exact expression of the king at the time of recording. "I have been given the choice between roboticization or death, and I have chosen the latter. So long as I live, I refuse to surrender the crown. My children shall not be burdened with it, as I am dissolving this monarchy by decree upon my death. Although I could not stop my son Elias from taking his own life out of pride, I must implore my daughter to be brave. While she is no longer a princess in truth, she is a princess in our hearts and our memories, which are all that's left of this Kingdom. Please, Sally, be brave for them, and help them rediscover freedom in whatever far-off time they may awaken and see this recording."

As the hologram disappeared, Sally walked to where it had been, tears streaming down her cheeks, and faced the crowd. Everyone knew she had nothing to say, but they began applauding nonetheless. She smiled brightly, and found what she needed to say. "He was a good man. I loved him so much... My father he," she paused, wiping the tears away but still smiling as the applause resumed, "he always wanted the best for you, no matter what Eggman says. But I know that he never had the power to make things right for a lot of you and I'm sorry for that. Eggman has used the roboticizer to change everything about our world and he's telling us to start over. Like it or not, he's right that this is a new opportunity," she looked to the doctor uncertainly, but was encouraged by his approving smirk.

"I want you all to follow through with my father's wishes, and use this chance to bring heart and soul back into this world." The crowd's applause was sustained, and Tails could feel the significance of Sally's approval of the world they had been tasked to repopulate. The look on Eggman's face was triumphant, and sickeningly fake. No matter the genius of the world he created, the doctor was still, as far as Tails was concerned, a monster. The situation was still uncertain, but they were at least in control of themselves, and that made them feel much better. It didn't matter if that was how Eggman wanted them to feel, pride felt good and a good feeling was something everyone needed badly.

"So," the doctor said as soon as he could speak over the noise of the crowd, "you are a citizen of the empire now, Miss Acorn. But you can rest assured that you will not fade away. You are granted all the same opportunities as your fellow Mobians, but you have that advantage your father spoke of. In their hearts and memories, and all that." As the crowd continued their cheering, an officer appeared from the window behind the stage who lead the orphaned princess out of the auditorium. Even as a civilian, she was still a VIP, and had to be protected. "All of you, please exit this room through the doors on your left, the officers will show you your new clothing, as well as everything you need to get started in the new world." The applause was less jubilant, but it was there. They clapped and cheered for Eggman himself, and even Tails couldn't help but feel thankful that he witnessed that moment of relief. There was a bit of security, now. There wouldn't be any more crying.

In the next room, the crowd was instructed on the new rules of modesty. It was obvious to all that clothing was a requirement in this new world. It was explained to them that different colors meant different roles, with green being the color of Academy students, red reserved for service and government jobs, blue for manufacturing and scientific jobs, silver for retirees, and black for the officers. It occurred to Tails that there was no color for civilians without jobs, and then it hit him- everyone who lacks a job becomes a student at the university. It was such a simple solution to improve society. No one would be left behind, they would only become smarter and more skillful. There would never again be illiteracy or common misconceptions. It would be an intellectual society.

When he learned these basic facts, the requirement for clothing didn't have to make sense. According to the officers, clothing was supposed to be worn as an immediate form of identification, a safeguard against the elements, and most importantly, a way of uniting all people visually. It is harder to dislike a person for their appearance if they dress the same as you. Tails had his own theory, but was in too good a mood to dwell on it- he thought that the anonymity of the clothing was meant to stifle individualism, and prevent people from attracting attention to themselves when they resist Eggman's policies.

The legal codes were simple, and all major crimes shared the same punishment: roboticization. The time spent in robotic form would be adjusted depending on the severity of the crime, and all memory of the sentence would be wiped when the imprisoned is deroboticized. "So," explained the wolf, "the real punishment is youth. If you really screw up out there, you're going in the machine, and yeah, it's painful, but you're going to wake up five seconds later to find out that all your friends are twice your age." Tails really resented the wolf's attitude. Everything he said seemed to put people on edge. "There's very little that can put you away like that. We would only send you in for murder, terrorist activities, kidnapping, et cetera."

It wasn't long before Tails had the deep green uniform of an Academy student on. It was drab and unassuming, but that was in part a blessing. Now Tails didn't have to worry too much about sticking out. With keys to a dorm room in hand and a booklet with everything he needed to pick out his first job, he was set to begin his new life. He had always assumed that everything should have a purpose, but when he saw himself in the mirror in his new clothes, he saw purpose in himself. Everyone needs a purpose just the same.


End file.
